Newton y West RoxburyGreater Boston, MA
They don’t learn Spanish here. They grow up in it.
An authentic Montessori education, taught entirely in Spanish, for children from 15 months to 6 years. Native-speaking guides, thoughtfully prepared classrooms, and a community that has been raising confident bilingual children in Greater Boston for more than a decade.
Nido · Casa de Niños · Ages 15 months to 6 years
El círculo de la mañana — morning circle, outdoors
- 15 months to 6 yearsNido and Children’s House communities
- 100% Spanish, all dayEvery activity led by native-speaking guides
- Authentic MontessoriFounded by an AMS-certified educator
- Three campusesNewton Highlands, Newton Corner and West Roxbury
Nuestro enfoqueOur approach
A second language shouldn’t be a subject. It should be a childhood.
Spanish Immersion Montessori School was built on a simple belief: the early years shape how children see themselves, how they learn, and how they connect with the world. So we give them a real Montessori community, and we give it to them in Spanish.
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Full Spanish immersion
Every song, conversation and lesson happens in Spanish, led by native speakers. Children absorb the language the way they absorbed their first, by living in it, not by studying it.
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Authentic Montessori
Prepared environments, real materials and mixed-age communities. Children choose meaningful work, set their own pace, and build the independence and concentration that last a lifetime.
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Music and movement, every day
ABC Spanish in Motion, the music-and-movement method our school grew out of, is woven through each day, because language lands best when the whole body is involved.
ProgramasPrograms
Two communities, one continuous journey.
From a toddler’s first steps toward independence to a kindergartner reading in two languages, each classroom is prepared for exactly where your child is.
15 months to 2.9 years
Nido
Our youngest community. A calm, warm space where the smallest children begin their Montessori journey, building autonomy and their first connections with Spanish through music, movement and everyday life.
In the classroom: practical life, language through song and story, sensory work, and plenty of time outdoors.
3 to 6 years · Pre-K and Kindergarten
Children’s House Casa de Niños
Our flagship program: a three-year cycle in which children work with the full range of Montessori materials and emerge bilingual, independent and ready for the world.
In the classroom: mathematics, reading and writing in Spanish, geography and culture, science, art, and the practical skills of caring for a community.
A Transition community bridges the two for children around 2.6 to 3.6 years, so no child is rushed and no child is held back.
El período sensibleThe sensitive period
The window for effortless language is open now. It won’t stay open forever.
Dr. Montessori called the years from birth to six the sensitive period for language: a stretch of childhood when a second language is absorbed rather than studied. Children who spend these years in Spanish don’t translate in their heads. They simply think in two languages.
Research on early bilingualism points to lasting benefits for attention, flexibility and empathy. We see them every day in the classroom.
Ease of acquiring a second language, by age
An illustration of the sensitive period for language described in Montessori pedagogy.
Un día en SIMSA day at SIMS
Ordinary mornings, in another language.
FamiliasWhat families tell us
Watch her enter with enthusiasm, and leave bursting with it.
“Our daughter is truly thriving at SIMS. Every day we watch as she enters the school with enthusiasm and leaves bursting with excitement. The teachers have encouraged her self-confidence and independence, and nurtured a love of learning that will serve as a foundation for her educational experience throughout life.”
“Our daughter has a very firm grasp of Spanish and defaults to counting in Spanish. And while all of this is wonderful, best of all, our daughter loves going to school so much she’s telling everyone she wants to be a teacher when she grows up.”
“She is so clearly loved and cared for by the amazing teachers that I feel comfortable every day in sending her to school. It is delightful to realize that my child is truly multilingual and self-directed in her learning.”
Nuestra fundadoraA note from our founder
It began as a dream for my own daughters.
“SIMS began with a simple dream for my own daughters: to grow up bilingual, confident, and excited about learning. That dream became a school where children are nurtured, respected, and encouraged to thrive through authentic Montessori education and full Spanish immersion. I’d love to welcome your family and show you what makes SIMS so special.”
Jouveth ShortellFounder
Venezuelan-born educator · American Montessori Society certified · M.A. in Intercultural Service and Leadership · Creator of ABC Spanish in Motion
Nuestros campusCampuses
Three campuses, one community.
Open Monday to Friday, 8:15 am to 5:30 pm. Families may enroll at any point in the school year as long as space is available.
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Newton Highlands
991 Boylston Street
Newton, MA 02461 - 02
Newton Corner
75 Vernon Street
Newton, MA 02458 - 03
West Roxbury
1481 Centre Street
West Roxbury, MA 02132
VisítanosBook a tour
Come see a classroom in action.
The admissions process begins with a visit. You’ll see the classrooms, meet the guides, ask every question you have, and get a feel for the community. After your tour we send you the application, and you take it from there.
- Tell us about your familyShare a few details in the form and we’ll be in touch to arrange a visit.
- Tour a campusWatch a morning unfold, in Spanish, and talk with our team.
- ApplyReceive the application after your visit. Children may join at any time of year when space allows.
Questions? Call (617) 676-7680 or email admin@spanish-montessori.com
Request a tour
Takes about a minute. We reply personally.
Preguntas frecuentesCommon questions
Good questions, honest answers.
Does my child need to speak Spanish to start?
No Spanish is needed to start. Guides speak to children in Spanish from the first day, in a warm, informal way, while gesturing, singing and modelling. Comprehension comes first, then speech, just as it does with a first language.
Will immersion slow down my child’s English?
Children keep building English at home and everywhere else in their lives. What they add at SIMS is a second language acquired the natural way, during the years when it takes the least effort. Families tell us their children move between the two with ease.
What ages do you serve, and how are classrooms grouped?
We welcome children from 15 months to 6 years. Nido serves children from 15 months to about 2.9 years, a Transition community bridges roughly 2.6 to 3.6 years, and Children’s House is a three-year cycle for ages 3 to 6 that includes Pre-K and Kindergarten.
What are your hours?
Our campuses are open Monday to Friday from 8:15 am to 5:30 pm.
How does admission work?
It starts with a tour. After your visit we send you the application form, and children may be enrolled at any point in the school year as long as space is available.
ImaginaImagine